Toseamarie
by Sparette
Summary: Will finds himself in the adventure of his lifetime while on the search for Lyra.
1. The Beginning

It had been so long. Now, though, it was time for Will to come home.  
  
Silence crept stealthily around Will; his footsteps seemed to echo precariously with every footfall, darkness seizing everything around him - morphing it into the worst possible of things. Several times, Will found himself mistaking his eerie shadow as it slid around his side as a Scepter, but every time he was relieved to realize that it was no such thing. Really, Will was frightened. He had been told not to do this, never to commit to finding his way back to Lyra, but every day he knew that he was closer and closer to snapping, and finally, he had.  
  
He had mindlessly been cleaning the Trophies in the schools' "lobby" when he mistook the reflection of a fellow student as his very own daemon, with Lyra and her own waving in the distance. Whirling around, he cried out to her - but alas, neither heard the other. Instead, he heard the other children mocking him relentlessly. It had been that way since, and Will did not intend to tolerate it. Will could not help but find himself musing constantly over every instant he thought of Lyra - which indeed was nearly every moment.  
  
He was grown now, a sturdy fifteen-year old. Still, he could not direct his attention away from his lover of the past, Lyra. Every thought that came through his mind included her in one way, and right now, he was thinking of going back to her. Concealed within his small backpack was the Knife that had changed his life forever - the Subtle Knife - and he was prepared to use it this day.  
  
Will did not care if he was breaking every promise he had made to the Witches - they themselves must understand that he could not survive without Lyra - even if death claimed him prematurely in his life. Tears slid down his cheeks as he hid in the Botanical Gardens, waiting for them to close down for the night. Checking his watch, he knew that they would close their doors soon; no more tourists flooded the area as they had earlier that afternoon. It was well past dusk, and only darkness loomed as the birds fluttered overhead, snoozing & playing in constant intervals. Surely soon the last worker would step out of the large dome - surely!  
  
Still, there was yet a small light protruding from one of the doors that led to a separate room. Will was beginning to wonder if it was just an experimental lab or whatnot, where the lives were constantly kept on, when the door creaked open, and a frail women peered out restlessly.  
  
"Good, good, they hath all departed. 'Tis time, 'tis time my dear Toseamarie. We hath waited long for this moment, and now it is staring us in the face, aye, aye Toseamarie."  
  
Her voice was raspy, heavy, and somehow intriguing. Will found himself immediately at risk, and wondered if he should make the cut at once. Who was she speaking to, and for what reason? Still, her silhouette loomed in the doorway, constantly weary of something - somewhere. Will held his breath somewhat, closing his eyes. Something about her disgusted him, and reminded him of something. Suddenly, it struck him. In that very instant, she spoke again, somewhat startled herself.  
  
"Toseamarie, someone is here."  
  
Will's eyes opened wide. 


	2. Her Return

So many things had changed in Will's life before now. At first, life had been as good as was possible without adventure or Lyra - but slowly, things went further and further downhill. When his daemon began to slowly disappear, Will was both frantic and distraught. For three years now, Will hadn't seen his daemon at all, and somehow, the worry had slowly worn away into miserable depression. Will had never been the same since having met Lyra, and in the awkward turn of events that followed, it seemed no wonder to the young man.  
  
The next odd event that happened was that the Subtle Knife came back to him. He didn't know how, but it returned completely repaired to his dresser drawer only a few weeks prior to his encounter now with Toseamarie. Will didn't know why he was thinking back on all of these odd happenings now, when he was in grave face of danger. In the eerie, shadowy light that was provided by a small lamp inside of the office of which the raspy old woman was standing just outside of. Not daring to take a closer look, Will disguised his breathing slightly, praying that he was not in the face of danger, that he was just dreaming.  
  
But despite his wishes, it was real. In a rapid movement, the old lady's hand moved slightly, and then, the world around Will was drenched in light. Cowering in the skinny shadow of a small bush, Will closed his eyes, clenching the knife in his right hand with the ferocity of a thousand men. He was never letting go of the grip he held on it.  
  
"I can see him."  
  
This was another voice, more airy, transparent. Immediately upon hearing it, Will dreadfully thought of the combination he had previously encountered: a harpy and a Specter. Now, together, what were they to do to him? The ragged breathing of the old lady and the soothing breaths of the other creature slowly neared, and yet Will held his ground, hoping that he could only be not seen.  
  
In a blur of moment that even Will could not recognize, the creature (of which the bush before him was blocking the view of) whizzed forward, past Will, and dove into a bush nearby. Out it dragged a bright gold, long- toothed, grinning monkey. Immediately, Will familiarized the figure. He could not help it, he let out a long breath - eyes widening in horror beyond which he was becoming a part of before. The monkey was Mrs. Coulter's daemon. In horror, Will peeked over the small bush which he was still sheltered beside.  
  
"Circus animals! What nuisances - dispose of the scum!"  
  
The old voice uttered disgustedly. Her hair was dark and matted in endless amounts of tangles - her eyes glinted with cold distrust, and her frail body was hunched over with age. Then, Will saw something that made him even more confused, the old woman winked at the captor. Suddenly, it struck Will. They knew one another - for the old lady was in disguise. The old lady was Mrs. Coulter.  
  
Only one thought ran through Will's dumbstruck mind. How? 


End file.
